Negative Picture
by Skade
Summary: There is a world, terribly different from the one we know in the books... Where Alexandria Potter masters the cat-o'-ninetails, struggling her way to the top of the Dark Army with the leader Lady Morrigan's blessing...


Untitled Document

**Negative Picture**

===

Alexandria Potter was extremely proud of herself.

The fifteen year old girl paused for a split second on the floormat of the Raven Dojo, black waist-length braid whipping out behind her. She snapped the cat-o'-ninetails in her hand. Nine _snap-krk!_ sounds assaulted her ears, as if echoes of each other. She was a master at the coiling weapon, and the black leather of its construction gleamed.

As her sparring partner launched another attack, Alexandria knew she didn't have long to rest. Serenity was one of the better close-combat fighters, and the twin fighting sickles that she twirled around her wrists were deadly.

As Serenity slashed forward, aiming at her chest, Alexandria dodged and aimed a kick at Serenity's stomach. It connected, and the older woman staggered back - but she wasn't daunted. The moon-crecent blades cut upward, catching her leg and leaving a slash of blood. Gritting her teeth against the sharp and sudden pain, Alexandria twirled her black leather cat-o'-ninetails again, ensnaring Serinity in the blade-laced whips. The battle did not stop, or even pause, there. Serenity slashed her way out of the leather, and came at Alexandria again...

A few paused to watch, as they walked inside the Raven Dojo, testing new weaponry and armour. The two moved in a blur as the sparring became more intense - faster and faster, harder and harder, more and more magic being used.

Suddenly, without any warning, the fighting stopped. Alexandria and Serenity came into focus for the observers. It was obvious who had one - Serenity stood over Alexandria as the younger was sprawled out on the floor, cat-o'-ninetails torn to shreds around them, a gash burning red on Alexandria's arm.

Serenity streched out a hand, helped Alexandria up. If you hadn't known her as well as Alexandria had, one would have thought it was out of kindness. "Good job, Alexandria. Your skills are improving markedly."

Alexandria stared at her teacher a second. Serenity had sharp, chiseled features that were cold, almost, and her eyes had long lost any trace of kindness. She wore the dark uniform of a Captain in the Dark Army, with broad sholderplates on the cloak she flung on. The crecent moons of her fighting sickles hung at her hips, one on each side, their rosewood handles well polished. Her dark hair, oily, hung close to her head as it was cut short, looking almost feathery.

One eyebrow arched, Serenity glanced at her student. "Shouldn't you get that cleaned up?" she commented, waving at Alexandria's arm.

The younger girl nodded, and then quietly slinked out, hiding in the shadows of the Raven Dojo. It was a massive building, circular in shape and having a mosaic of a giant raven upon the floor, hence its name. Students and masters held one-on-one fights, but to even be in the Raven Dojo one had to be a master at one's weapon. And Alexandria _was_, no doubt about it. But Serenity was better. Serenity Snape was always better, and wiser, and... Alexandria sighed in frustration.

Then she chided herself for being ungrateful. She was lucky to have even the chance to be here, to train and have a spot in the honored Dark Army. Better, she had Lady Morrigan's blessing, making her more honored and respected than even some of the Captains. Lady Morrigan had killed her parents (of who she was sure were idiots anyway) and saw her potential immediately. So green-eyed, messy haired Alex Potter became, over time, the slick and cruelly beautiful Alexandria Potter.

As she was walking down the dark corridors to her room, a voice - a whiny, almost nasal voice - intruded upon her thoughts. "Lost 'nother battle, Alex?"

Alexandria supressed an angered growl. Instead, she turned to face her archenemy, Casseopaeia Malfoy. Casseopaeia - or simply 'Cassy' as she was called - lived up to her name. The blonde prided herself on her blossoming figure and displayed it to the fullest, her favorite sport being to see how many boyfriends she could go through in a day... besides applying her makeup, that is. Cassy, in short, probably _would_ brag that she was prettier than the Goddess of Love, and Alexandria was hoping that someday she'd get punished for it.

Cassy looked at Alexandria through glittery-painted 'lashes. "Don't take it so hard, Alex. I mean, we all _knew_ you were going to lose..." Her voice was saccarine, and after her last comment there were twitters from the two dyed-platinum-blonde painted girls behind her that Cassy kept as henchwomen.

Alexandria found her hand straying to where her cat-o'-ninetails usually hung. "In case you haven't noticed, Casseopaeia, my name is Alexandria," she stated, trying to keep her voice flat but allowing a small irritated tone to creep in. "And," she continued, "I _do _have to go. After all, I don't associate with those that cannot even master the wooden swords in the Silver Dojo with the five-year-olds." She smiled evilly and stamped along her way, crushing Cassy's blows with accurasy. Cassy was only there because of her honored Captain mother, Laurel, and could not take even the simplest weaponry to heart while her mother was a master of the twin katanas.

She thought that she had crushed Cassy once and for all, but then she heard the blonde's voice again. "Oh, yeah, an' Alex?" She turned around, and Cassy's grin was full of poison. "Lady Morrigan said she wanted to see you. She didn't sound to _happy_, either."

Alexandria felt a stab of ice go down her back. Lady Morrigan was the ruler and founder of the supreme Dark Order, and whenever she was displeased it usually ment someone's death. Cassy and her 'friends' drifted away down the hall, and Alexandria felt another wave of terror swamp her. What was she going to do?

Running wasn't going to help, that she knew. Ignoring the sharp pain in her arm and leg, deeming them less important, she walked silently on. Her waist-length braid was still kept in its place - she made sure of that - and her black tunic was smoothed, black pants streight, red sash just right...

Then she was at the doors all too soon. Two guards stood rigid at either side of the ebony-carved entrance, pikestaffs in their hands. One nodded barely to say she was to go in, and opened one black hinge into the abyss...

A throne was in the middle of the room, ebony and black marble with gold-leaf accents. Candles flickered about the room, life dripping away with every second. In the throne sat a figure, swathed in black robes, hood about her face, black hair pooling about her shoulders. Pale hands, like claws, clutched the armrests that were ornately carved.

Alexandria bowed. Hard - as low as she could. "Honored Lady Morrigan," she said, voice just barely above a whisper.

Relief swept over her when she heard Morrigan's purr of a voice - it was pleased. "Alexandria." She looked up, glinting golden eyes only visible in the shadows of her hood. Reaching up to pet a black raven that had just landed on her shoulder, she continued. "Nevermore here tells me you fought very well in the Raven Dojo today."

Nervously, Alexandria stammered an answer. "One could say that, m'Lady. Thank you."

"For such a well-done duel, one ought to be commended." Morrigan smiled. "That is why I have you here, Alexandria. I am going to give you some information most do not know yet."

Curious, Alexandria looked up. Her nervousness was starting to fade. "What is it, m'Lady?"

Morrigan's smile continued, almost kind... but not _quite_ there. "You see, Alexandria, I have determined that there is... another world somewhere." She began to idly play with one of her pet raven's loosed black feathers in her fingers. "It is terribly different from our own. There are many things that are unlike here..." The smile dimmed from her face, and she stared into Alexandria. "The most important is that we - here - all seem to have a sort of twin of the opposite gender... and then, the _light_ -" she spat the word "-is winning. Because of your twin, Alexandria."

Earthquakes. The San Andreas Fault splitting apart for the first time. Jagged, twisted rocks; jagged, broken feelings. That was how Alexandria was shaken to the core. "M-me, my Lady?" she asked, voice quavering.

"Yes, Alexandria, you." Morrigan's voice was getting increasingly harsher. "In this... world... you managed to defeat me almost entirely... you are a celebrity... your twin, that is." She sneered. "_'The Boy who Lived'. _It's disgusting, Alexandria."

"Yes, m'Lady," came the weak reply, the edge of fear creeping back in.

Morrigan leaned in closer, strands of black hair falling into her face. "You will never betray me so, _will_ you, Alexandria?"

"N-no, m'Lady," she said, voice soft but growing stronger. "Never!"

Benevolence returned to Morrigan's face. The storm had ended. "Good, Alexandria, good. I knew I could count on you." The almost-kind smile blossomed forth on her lips once again. "Do you understand this world? It shall be important, Alexandria. They mean to overpower us."

Alexandria nodded. "I believe so, m'Lady." She cocked her head to one side, brow furrowing. "Is it much like a muggle negative photograph picture?"

"Yes," Morrigan said slowly, voice steadily getting more and more thoughtful. "Yes... a negative photograph...

"You may go, Alexandria."

With that, Alexandria Potter left the throne-room to her own quarters, wondering... and dreaming... what this confrontation would be like. She didn't have long to dream, however... just a bandage for her leg and another for her arm, a new cat-o'-ninetails, and her teacher Serenity Snape needed her to teach her a new tactic...

==

AN: Woohoo! That was wierd, and it took me the entire day to write! I started eight-ish in the morning (after playing a bit of "The Curse of Monkey Island" - the bestest game! Mwa!) and then I'm only finishing now at nearly six at night between all the interruptions I had o.o This story lodged itself in my head and demanded to come out. In later chapters I'm going to explore Serenity's personality more, and you'll get to see what a certain Anne Dumbledore is up to ;) Besides all of the fun I'm going to have with the meetings between 'twins'! =D Such funness... The two Potters are not going to get along, ohhh noooo, and Alexandria with her cat-o'-ninetails is going to give Harry a very sore few days o.O Ouchy stuff. And the two Snapes are going to try to kill each other (Severus is going to have a quarterstaff! Mwa!). Such funness... *GRIN*

It's rather pointless to not review after reading this far, you know? 


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